Thread by @ThyConsigliori

John Minford, #SunTzu 8: 23 {The 1st of 5 pitfalls for a general is} "Recklessness, leading to destruction."

I can't quite explain Minford's strategy with these five verses. Perhaps it's that amazing poetic sense of his. He has, I suspect, reduced these verses down to their barest content while still preserving their meaning. For me, though, they're almost a bit too densely packed.

Can there be such a thing as too much meaning in too few words? I'd say yes, there can be. Mind, I'm massively jealous, as I never demonstrate that particular skill. Still, it's our job to unpack these verses a little, and we have a couple of friends. The first is Roger Ames.

If you purchase Ames - you MUST! - you'll rapidly note he uses a straightforward paragraph, as in prose approach. This is in many ways the direct opposite of Minford whose approach is built on poetry, not prose. I'm going to quote Ames now, for these 5 pitfalls.

Roger Ames, #SunTzu page 136: "There are five traits that are dangerous in a commander: If he has a reckless disregard for life, he can be killed; if he is determined to live at all costs, he can be captured; if he has a volatile temper, he can be provoked;

"if he is a man of uncompromising honor, he is open to insult; if he loves his people, he can be easily troubled and upset. These five traits are generally faults in a commander, and can prove disastrous in the conduct of war.

"Since an army's being routed and its commander slain is invariably the consequence of the five dangerous traits, they must be given careful consideration."

I don't know about you, but I find Ames slightly expanded explanations simply wonderful. Take today's verse. When I read it, I instantly assumed it was the general's soldiers with whom he was being reckless, the opposite of the fault of caring about them too much.

Yet, reading Ames I see that another interpretation is over the general risking his own life. That's very interesting. Those who study naval history might accuse Lord Nelson of that particular fault.

In Minford's full version with commentary, there is another friend who unpacks today's lesson with wonderful clarity. We've accepted Zhang Yu's help before, and surely will again.

He says, "The reckless warrior, willing to fight to the death, may not succumb to brute force,

"but can still be lured into an ambush and put to death. Hence The Marshall's Treatise says, 'Courting death does not win the victory.' If a general has no strategy, he will send his vanguard to their deaths and still come out the loser."

I've noticed this dynamic countless times in my debates with friends - sometimes about to become former friends - where they'll fight to the death over something like climate change, or that @POTUS is a racist, and if I support him, I am a racist too.

@POTUS They often fight to the death...of the friendship. Or, at a lower level, they fight to the death...of the conversation. You can't offer a middle ground such as, let's agree to disagree, they keep fighting anyway.

@POTUS I see the same recklessness in business all the time. A boss who brings a "my way or the highway" attitude to his subordinates will often continue on till he's emptied out the company parking lot. It happens more often than people realize.

@POTUS Here's a painful example of me NOT being as reckless as I wish I might be. My autistic son Anthony can proudly wear his Trump hat anywhere, and no one messes with him. Me? Not so much. I know the dangers, here locally, and I avoid them. I hate that.

@POTUS We've discussed it before. If you decide to join our force and become a #MAGATeamLeader in your local area, you MUST be ready to face the incoming that will absolutely ensue. Is your job safe? Are you caught up in your finances? Can you handle losing income? Don't be reckless.

@POTUS Perhaps my own greatest, most frequent form of recklessness is over-expectation. I see potential, and I sucker for it. I need to believe my people can achieve and do so without limits. So, I encourage bold missions, way past the other person's confident skill set.

@POTUS My lesson is, rather, to identify competency and confidence, and maximize rewards from execution WITHIN those limits. Careful caution, restricting objectives to those so doable that failure comes as a shock. It's such a difficult discipline to build.

@POTUS Don't get me wrong. There is a place for risk taking on the path to growth. Yet, Master Sun is, as always, right. The balance is when risk converts into recklessness. Now, I know for sure you have your own reckless stories. And I bet, they're some of your favorites!

@POTUS 222 verses completed, 200 to go.

To return to previous sections in our #WarForAmerica2020 and #SunTzuForMAGA series, don't forget to head over to @WarForAmerica21. You'll find the digital table of contents for this series, there. Please retweet each entry you enjoy.